Man dies, another critical after Kansas explosion

PITTSBURG, Kan. - One of two men injured in an explosion at a southeast Kansas fireworks manufacturer has died, while the second man remains in critical condition.

The Crawford County Sheriff's office says in a news release that 28-year-old Kenny L. Clark died at a Joplin hospital hours after the explosion Tuesday afternoon.

The Pittsburg Morning-Sun reports (http://bit.ly/1q8J5Ft ) a second man, 42-year-old Howard O. Harper, was in critical condition Wednesday at a Springfield hospital.

The men were injured by an explosion and fire at the former headquarters of Jake's Fireworks in Pittsburg. They were moving materials that were to be taken to the company's new headquarters in a Pittsburg industrial park.

No other employees were injured.

The cause of the explosion and the fire are still under investigation.